Tag: addiction

In honor of Brain Awareness Month we will be spotlighting neurofeedback in this post. Never heard of neurofeedback? Curious how it can help you? You’re not alone. Every month thousands of people look up neurofeedback in search engines. Why? Because it’s a non-invasive, non-medication therapy that works wonders for the brain.

The Brain

The brain has the ability to change itself due to its capability to undergo neurogenesis and neuroplasticity. Neurogenesis is the ability to grow and develop new neurons in the brain while neuroplasticity is the ability to change and restructure the neurological pathways in the brain. Neurofeedback encourages the processes of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.

In a typical neurofeedback therapy session, a neurofeedback technician places electrodes on a client’s head, and then a software program creates a reward system for the brain as the client watches a movie of their choosing. The program trains the brain to self-regulate its brain waves which in turn helps the client learn to manage their emotions, thoughts, and performance.

Jessica Harper, the owner of Aspen Valley Counseling, used to get in her car and know she was going to miss the entrance of wherever she was going. Without fail, a chorus of groans sounded off in the back seat of her silver VW bug as her children cried, “Not again!” But after doing neurofeedback therapy she no longer misses her entrances. “It’s pretty amazing that neurofeedback—something so simple in practice—has helped me in such a day-to-day thing.”

There are countless others who have also experienced great results with neurofeedback. Many have had help with their anxiety, their depression, learned to have better focus, and much more!

Basics of Neurofeedback Therapy

Neurofeedback therapy helps with a myriad of mental health related issues that deal with the brain. It can help:

ADD/ADHD

Trauma

PTSD

Anxiety

Depression

Addiction

Brain Injury

Autism

Stress

Insomnia

Phobias

Performance (such as for sports or testing for school)

Energy Levels

Meditation

It’s non-invasive and doesn’t involve any medication. So if you’re looking for an alternative to medication, neurofeedback therapy could be something you might want to try.

It may seem too good to be true, but it works wonders for people! For effective treatment, a patient should attend at least 20 sessions (and at least two sessions per week) for long-term results. A patient can finish them faster by doing two sessions per day, five times per week.

If you’re on medication, you can still do neurofeedback therapy. With supervision by your doctor or provider, some people can even cut down or stop using medication after completing neurofeedback therapy.

Cost of Neurofeedback Therapy

Most insurance companies do not cover neurofeedback, since they see it as an unnecessary treatment. Western medicine is typically medication-based, so an insurance company is much more likely to cover costs of medication. But if you don’t want to take medication to improve your mental health, and you’re seeking out alternative medicine, you’re probably going to be paying out-of-pocket anyway.

Neurofeedback is a great option for someone looking to treat their mental health. Most neurofeedback sessions cost around $75 to $100 per session plus an extra cost for the first appointment. If you’re looking for a cheaper option and you happen to live in Utah, Aspen Valley Counseling in Orem, Utah (Utah County) charges clients $50 per session.

Anyone who has struggled with addiction can tell you it’s a difficult journey, and recovery will take time. But where do you even start? Addiction recovery usually requires professional help, but there are some things you can do to help you get started or help you progress as you’re working with a professional.

Addiction Recovery: Noticing Your Behavior

Addiction recovery isn’t just about getting rid of a bad habit; it’s about creating a lifestyle that will help you get rid of your addiction. So where do you start? You start by getting at the root of the addiction, creating new patterns, and noticing risky situations.

First, start thinking about what triggers your addiction. Is it when you feel sad? After you have a fight with a loved one? There could be many reasons. Write these down. These are your high-risk situations, when you should be aware that you have a habit of giving into your addiction.

Writing them down won’t change the fact that you have an addiction, but it will help you identify your behavior better so you can be aware that you’re reacting to something when you’re giving into the addictive behavior.

Now, think of how you feel before you succumb to your addiction. Are you feeling angry, lonely, or tired? For each high-risk situation you wrote down, write down how you feel in that situation. These are the emotions you’re going to want to watch out for. These emotions aren’t bad, but these are times when you might be more susceptible to your addiction because you’ve created a pattern of behavior. So, when you feel sad, you might automatically go to substance abuse to avoid the sadness. These are patterns you want to identify so that you can interrupt them. If you notice you’re sad, then you can learn to acknowledge that feeling, and then use a different coping method rather than give into the addiction.

Addiction Recovery: Learning Skills

Addiction recovery won’t be solved in a day with a list. You’ll have to learn new coping methods, change your lifestyle, and in some cases alter the way you think about things or heal from trauma.

Coping Skills

Sometimes we are faced with difficult situations or feelings we don’t know how to handle. In these cases, many people turn to their addictions. But there are other coping skills you can learn to replace your addictions with. Here are a couple of ideas:

Meditate: When you take time out of your day to recenter your mind on what’s important, you can let go of feelings of frustration.

Learn mindfulness: Mindfulness is something you can use whenever and wherever you are. All you have to do is learn to focus on the here and now. What can you see, smell, feel, hear? When you stop worrying about what’s going to happen, you can learn to calm down.

Breathe deeply: Breathe in through your nose for six seconds and then out through your mouth for six seconds. Do this until you notice your heart rate is at a calm pace.

Keep a journal: Sometimes writing things down will help you organize your thoughts and help you stop worrying so much.

Exercise: When you exercise, your body releases a chemical called endorphins that will make you feel happy.

When you find a coping method that fits you best, try it out when you notice yourself start to feel one of the emotions on your list or after you encounter a high-risk situation. Even if it doesn’t work the first time, stick to it. Your addiction recovery will take time after all.

Being Patient With Yourself

And of course, through this addiction recovery process, be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself. And don’t give up.

Yes, you will have to make a big lifestyle change, but it will be worth it. It’s important that you start to notice other parts of your life that will have to undergo changes. Are there people who encourage your addiction? Are there places where you go that encourage your addiction? Be aware of these and avoid them when you can. But of course, you won’t always be able to avoid these things, so build up your arsenal of good habits and coping skills.

Getting professional help is going to be crucial in your recovery. If you don’t want to do an in-patient treatment program, or you have done one and need extra help, consider seeing a therapist who can help you. Here are some types of therapy that can help you in your journey of addiction recovery:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This type of therapy will help you think more rationally and interrupt your thoughts that lead you into addictive behavior.

Neurofeedback: This therapy helps train your brainwaves so that you can think more clearly and make more progress in your addiction recovery.

EMDR: If you are suffering from trauma, this type of therapy will help you heal and move forward with your addiction recovery.

Motivational interviewing: This therapy is very goal oriented and will help you take steps toward recovery.

Remember, your road to addiction recovery will be your own, but you don’t have to do it alone. Get help from people who will encourage you to get rid of the addiction, therapists, specialists, and others who’ve recovered. And be patient. You’ll get there.